The author shares her greatest passion and the most surprising thing she learned while writing.
At Victorious By Design, it’s our pleasure to showcase authors who are walking in purpose and making extraordinary strides in the publishing industry. In light of that, we are super excited to feature author W. Mason Dunn. Dunn writes books that move readers through a full range of emotions.
"I was born into a family of writers," says Dunn. "Two of my older siblings were writers before they went home to be with the Lord. My brother, BJ Mason, authored a couple of books. And my sister, Judi Ann Mason, was a playwriter and a television screenwriter. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t enjoy creating stories like my big brother and sister."
Dunn's new book, For Such A Time As This, is available for preorder and will be released on Friday, 07/16/2021.
OUR INTERVIEW
What is your greatest passion? I passionate about writing. I make time to write every day and take classes to hone my craft. Writing is the way I relax. I also use my writing to encourage, inspire and bless others. Some of my most passionate stories have come from my life experiences.
Why did you choose Christian Fiction genre? I like to think Christian Fiction chose me. I write stories that illuminate and illustrate a Christian view. My desire is to touch the hearts of readers by exposing the love of God in every aspect of the lives of my characters.
What was one of the most surprising things that you learned while writing your book(s)? I was most surprised by the constantly transforming and developing writing process. It is hard work to produce a quality novel.
What has been your most satisfying moment as an author? The most satisfying moment for me was when I received the author copy of my first novel, More Than Sisters. It was rewarding to see the finished product. All of the writing, rewriting and rewriting again paid off. I couldn’t hold back the tears.
What are three major elements to creating a great story? In my opinion plot, character and setting are the three major elements to creating a great story. The plot is important because it moves the action forward. The characters influence the action and the setting sets the mood.
What are three elements that are always present in your writing? My writing always includes a theme, passion, and conflict. First, my stories have a takeaway. Some examples of my themes are forgiveness, injustice and good versus evil. It is the reason why the story is written.
Second, my writing always contains passion. It exposes my joys, wounds and values. I want my readers to feel these emotions in the lives of my characters, their actions, thoughts and dialogue. I explore what I’m feeling, draw it out and incorporate it into my writing.
Thirdly, my writing includes conflict. It creates tension and drives the story forward. Conflict illuminates the existing problem and provides a way to make things better.
Who was your favorite character to write? I loved writing about Olivia Howard in More than Sisters. She is a feisty Christian who will do anything for her family. Her character is based on my sister who raised me, Viola Johnson. The book is dedicated to Viola and her husband, Henry Johnson. I wanted to thank and honor them for the sacrifices they made in order to raise me after the death of my parents.
What is the hardest part of writing? The hardest part of writing to me is sticking with it until the end. It can take weeks, months or maybe even years to finish a project. The work can be painstaking and requires patience as well as discipline. But the finish product is fulfilling and well worth the wait.
Which of your books was the hardest to write? Why? The most difficult book I’ve written so far is For Such a Time as This. This novel deals with an unfamiliar topic, the school-to-prison pipeline. I did an extraordinary amount of studying in order to strengthen arguments and support conclusions. That took a lot of years and months of researching, notetaking and critical thinking to incorporate all of the information into an idea and turn that idea into a novel.
What is your advice to aspiring authors? My advice to aspiring authors is to read a lot. I believe readers make better writers.
About Waletta
Waletta Mason Dunn (W. Mason Dunn) was born in Bossier City, Louisiana. She earned her undergraduate degree from Texas College in Business Administration and earned a graduate degree in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma. She worked for 20 years in higher education as a counselor for the military while traveling with her husband before he retired from the Marine Corps after 20 years of service. The breadth of her personal and professional experiences has contributed enormously to her fascinatingly inspirational writings.
Waletta’s greatest loves are God and family and she uses both as the inspirations for all of her books. She brings to life compelling relationships that move her readers through the full range of emotions – joy, pain, laughter, tears, and triumph!
She has been married for 36 years to Donald Michael Dunn (USMC, ret.). She is the devoted mother of two young, adult children, Michael Stewart Dunn and Ashley Elaine Dunn.
She also enjoys reading, playing Scrabble and solving crossword puzzles.
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